Enabling greater Penetration of Solar Power - A Case Study

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "Enabling greater Penetration of Solar Power - A Case Study"

Transcription

1 Enabling Greater Penetration of Solar Power via the Use of CSP with Thermal Energy Storage Paul Denholm and Mark Mehos NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC. Technical Report NREL/TP-6A November 2011 Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308

2 Enabling Greater Penetration of Solar Power via the Use of CSP with Thermal Energy Storage Paul Denholm and Mark Mehos Prepared under Task No. SS NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC. National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1617 Cole Boulevard Golden, Colorado Technical Report NREL/TP-6A November 2011 Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308

3 NOTICE This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof. Available electronically at Available for a processing fee to U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors, in paper, from: U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information P.O. Box 62 Oak Ridge, TN phone: fax: mailto:reports@adonis.osti.gov Available for sale to the public, in paper, from: U.S. Department of Commerce National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA phone: fax: orders@ntis.fedworld.gov online ordering: Cover Photos: (left to right) PIX 16416, PIX 17423, PIX 16560, PIX 17613, PIX 17436, PIX Printed on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 10% post consumer waste.

4 Table of Contents 1 Introduction Challenges of Solar Deployment at High Penetration System Model Increasing Solar Deployment Using CSP Further Quantifying the Benefits of CSP Deployment Conclusions References iii

5 1 Introduction Falling cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) generated electricity has led to a rapid increase in the deployment of PV and projections that PV could play a significant role in the future U.S. electric sector. The solar resource itself is virtually unlimited compared to any conceivable demand for energy (Morton 2006); however, the ultimate contribution from PV could be limited by several factors in the current grid. One is the limited coincidence between the solar resource and normal demand patterns (Denholm and Margolis 2007a). A second is the limited flexibility of conventional generators to reduce output and accommodate this variable generation resource. At high penetration of solar generation, increased grid flexibility will be needed to fully utilize the variable and uncertain output from PV generation and shift energy production to periods of high demand or reduced solar output (Denholm and Margolis 2007b). Energy storage provides an option to increase grid flexibility and there are many storage options available or under development. 1 In this work we consider a technology now beginning to be deployed at scale thermal energy storage (TES) deployed with concentrating solar power (CSP). PV and CSP are both deployable in areas of high direct normal irradiance such as the U.S. Southwest. From a policy standpoint, a simplistic approach to choosing a generation technology might be based simply on picking the option with the lowest overall levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). However, deployment based simply on lowest LCOE ignores the relative benefits of each technology to the grid, how their value to the grid changes as a function of penetration, and how they may actually work together to increase overall usefulness of the solar resource. Both PV and CSP use solar energy to generate electricity, although through different conversion processes. A key difference between CSP and PV technologies is the ability of CSP to utilize high-efficiency thermal energy storage (TES) which turns CSP into a 2 partially dispatchable resource. The addition of TES produces additional value by shifting solar energy to periods of peak demand, providing firm capacity and ancillary services, and reducing integration challenges. Given the dispatchability of CSP enabled by thermal energy storage, it is possible that PV and CSP are at least partially complementary. The dispatchability of CSP with TES can enable higher overall penetration of solar energy in two ways. The first is providing solar-generated electricity during periods of cloudy weather or at night. However a potentially important, and less well analyzed benefit of CSP is its ability to provide grid flexibility, enabling greater penetration of PV (and other variable generation sources such as wind) than if deployed without CSP. In this work we examine the degree to which CSP may be complementary to PV via its use of thermal energy storage. We first review the challenges of PV deployment at scale 1 The only storage technology with large scale deployment to date is pumped hydro, with about 20GW of capacity in the United States. Other storage technologies deployed in the United States include a single 110 MW CAES facility, and a number of relatively small battery and flywheel installations (Denholm et al. 2010). 2 The degree of dispatchability is based largely on the amount of storage in the plant. For additional discussion see Sioshansi and Denholm (2010). 1

6 with a focus on the supply/demand coincidence and limits of grid flexibility. We then perform a series of grid simulations to indicate the general potential of CSP with TES to enable greater use of solar generation, including additional PV. Finally, we use these reduced form simulations to identify the data and modeling needed for more comprehensive analysis of the potential of CSP with TES to provide additional flexibility to the grid as a whole and benefit all variable generation sources. 2

7 2 Challenges of Solar Deployment at High Penetration The benefits and challenges of large scale PV penetration have been described in a number of analyses (Brinkman et al 2011). At low penetration, PV typically displaces the highest cost generation sources (Denholm et al. 2009) and may also provide high levels of reliable capacity to the system (Perez et al 2008). Figure 1 provides a simulated system dispatch for a single summer day in California with PV penetration levels from 0% to 10% (on an annual basis). This figure is from a previous analysis that used a production cost model simulating the western United States (Denholm et al. 2008). It illustrates how PV displaces the highest cost generation, and reduces the need for peaking capacity due to its coincidence with demand patterns. Generation (MW) 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 PV Gas Turbine Pumped Storage Hydro Combined Cycle Imports Coal Nuclear Wind Geo 0 Base Bas (no PV) 2% 2% 6% 6% 10% 10% PV Penetration and Hour Figure 1. Simulated dispatch in California for a summer day with PV penetration from 0% 10% Note: Figure is modified from Denholm et al. (2008). At fairly low penetration (on an energy basis) the value of PV capacity drops. This can be observed in Figure 1 where the peak net load (normal load minus PV) stays the same between the 6% and 10% penetration curves. 3 The net load in this figure is the curve at the top of the Gas Turbine area. Beyond this point PV no longer adds significant amounts of firm capacity to the system. Several additional challenges for the economic deployment of solar PV also occur as penetration increases. These are illustrated in Figure 2, which shows the results of the same simulation, except on a spring day. During 3 When evaluating the impact of wind and solar, net loads typically remove both sources from the normal load. We just show the load minus the solar output to isolate the impact. 3

8 this day, the lower demand results in PV displacing lower cost baseload energy. At 10% PV penetration in this simulation, PV completely eliminates net imports, and California actually exports energy to neighboring states. Generation (MW) 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 PV Gas Turbine Pumped Storage Hydro Combined Cycle Imports Coal Nuclear Wind Geo Exports -5,000 Base 2% 6% 10% (no PV) PV Penetration and Hour Figure 2. Simulated dispatch in California for a spring day with PV penetration from 0% 10% Note: Figure is modified from Denholm et al. (2008). Several factors limit the ability of conventional generators to reduce output to accommodate renewable generation. These include the rate at which generators can change output, particularly in the evening when generators must increase output rapidly in a high PV scenario. This challenge is illustrated in Figure 3, a ramp duration curve for California covering an entire simulated year. This is the net load ramp rate (MW/hour) for all 8,760 hours in the simulated year ordered from high to low. In the no PV case, the maximum load ramp rate is about 5,000 MW/hour and a ramp rate of greater than 4,000 MW/hour occurs less than 100 hours in the simulated year. In the 2% PV case, the hourly ramps are actually smaller since PV effectively removes the peak demand (as seen in Figure 1). However at higher penetration, the ramp rates increase substantially, and in the 10% PV case the net load increases at more than 4,000 MW/hour more than 500 hours per year. 4

9 Net Load Ramp Rate (MW/Hour) Base (no PV) 2% 6% 10% Hour Figure 3. Ramp duration curve in California with PV penetration from 0% 10% Note: Figure is derived from Denholm et al. (2008). Another limitation is the overall ramp range, or generator turn-down ratio. This represents the ability of power plants to reduce output, which is typically limited on large coal and nuclear units. Accommodating all of the solar generation as shown in Figure 2 requires nuclear generators to vary output which is not current practice in the U.S. nuclear industry. Most large thermal power plants cannot be turned off for short periods of time (a few hours or less), and brief shutdowns could be required to accommodate all energy generated during the period of peak solar output. The actual minimum load of individual generators is both a technical and economic issue there are technical limits to how much power plants of all types can be turned down. Large coal plants are often restricted to operating in the range of 50% 100% of full capacity, but there is significant uncertainty about this limit (GE Energy 2010). Many plant operators have limited experience with cycling large coal plants, and extensive cycling could significantly increase maintenance requirements. 4 The ability to de-commit or turn off power plants may also be limited by the need to provide operating reserves from partially loaded power plants. As the amount of PV on the system increases, the need for operating reserves also increases due to the uncertainty of the solar resource, as well as its variability over multiple time scales. Previous analysis has demonstrated the economic limits of PV penetration due to generator turn-down limits and supply/demand coincidence (Denholm and Margolis 4 Cycling operations, that include on/off startup/shutdown operations, on-load cycling, and high frequency MW changes for automatic generation control (AGC), can be very damaging to power generation equipment. However, these costs can be very difficult to quantify, especially isolating the additional costs associated with cycling above and beyond normal operations (Lefton and Besuner 2006). 5

10 2007a, Nikolakakis and Fthenakis 2011). Because of these factors, at high penetration of solar, increasing amounts of solar may need to be curtailed when its supply exceeds demand, after subtracting the amount of generation met by plants unable to economically reduce output due to ramp rate or range constraints or while providing operating reserves. Generator constraints would likely prevent the use of all PV generation in Figure 2. Nuclear plant operators would be unlikely to reduce output for this short period. Furthermore, PV generation may be offsetting other low or zero carbon sources. In Figure 2, PV sometimes displaces wind and geothermal generation, which provides no real benefit in terms of avoided fuel use or emissions. 5 While the penetration of solar energy is currently far too small to see significant impacts, curtailment of wind energy is an increasing concern in the United States (Wiser and Bolinger 2010). While a majority of wind curtailments in the United States are due to transmission limitations (Fink et al 2009), curtailments due to excess generation during times of low net load are a significant factor that will increase if grid flexibility is not enhanced. The resulting curtailed energy can substantially increase the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) from variable generators, because their capital costs must be recovered over fewer units of energy actually sold to the grid. The ability of the aggregated set of generators to rapidly change output at a high rate and over a large range can be described as a grid s overall flexibility. Flexibility depends on many factors, including: Generator mix Hydro and gas-fired generators are generally more flexible than coal or nuclear. Grid size Larger grids are typically more flexible because they share a larger mix of generators and can share operating reserves and a potentially more spatially diverse set of renewable resources. 6 Use of forecasting in unit commitment Accurate forecasts of the wind and solar resources and load reduces the need for operating reserves. Market structure Some grids allow more rapid exchange of energy and can more efficiently balance supply from variable generators and demand. Other sources of grid flexibility Some locations have access to demand response, which can provide an alternative to partially-loaded thermal generators for provision of operating reserves. Other locations may have storage assets such as pumped hydro. A comprehensive analysis of each flexibility option is needed to evaluate the cost-optimal approach of enhancing the use of variable generation. In this analysis, we consider the 5 We discuss the tradeoff in curtailment in more detail in Section 3. 6 This includes both the size of a balancing authority area (the area in which supply and demand resources are balanced) and the connections between a balancing authority and its neighbors. Larger balancing authority areas can utilize a greater set of generation resources. Absent a large balancing authority area, there is the potential to exchange supply and demand resources with neighboring areas, but requires both the transmission capacity and the market or other regulatory mechanisms to efficiently schedule and exchange resources (King et al. 2011). 6

11 use of thermal energy storage. Previous analysis has demonstrated the ability of a windand solar-based system to meet a large fraction of system demand when using electricity storage (Denholm and Hand 2011). A number of storage technologies are currently available or under development, but face a number of barriers to deployment including high capital costs 7 efficiency related losses 8, and certain market and regulatory challenges. 9 A number of initiatives are focused on reducing these barriers. 10 An alternative to storing solar generated electricity is storing solar thermal energy via CSP/TES. Because TES can only store energy from thermal generators such as CSP, it cannot be directly compared to other electricity storage options, which can charge from any source. However, TES provides some potential advantages for bulk energy storage. First, TES offers a significant efficiency advantage, with an estimated round trip efficiency in excess of 95% (Medrano et al. 2010). 11 TES has the potential for low cost, with one estimate for the cost associated with TES added to a CSP power tower design at about $72/kWh-e (after considering the thermal efficiency of the power block) Estimates of storage costs vary widely. However a cost of $2,000/kW for an 8-hour (usable) storage device appears to be on the low end of estimates for commercially available storage technologies with the exception of compressed air energy storage (EPRI 2010). 8 The AC-AC round trip efficiency of new pumped hydro and some batteries (such as lithium-ion) is expected to exceed 80%, but many battery technologies such as sodium sulfur and most flow batteries have round-trip efficiencies of 75% or below (EPRI 2010). 9 These include difficulty in valuing and recovering the value for the multiple services that storage can provide. (Denholm et al 2010). 10 Examples include R&D efforts to reduce costs such as the ARPA-E Grid-Scale Rampable Intermittent Dispatchable Storage (GRIDS) program with a goal of $100/kWh, or $800/kW for an 8-hour device (Johnson 2011). 11 This efficiency value represents the ratio of useful energy recovered from the storage system to the amount of energy extracted from the heat source, and is restricted to this application. A more rigorous definition of round-trip efficiency would include the loss of availability associated with a reduction in temperature at the outlet of a thermal storage system This as occurs for indirect storage systems where a temperature drop exists across heat exchangers transferring thermal energy from the solar field working fluid to the storage medium and again from the storage medium to the power block. 12 Assumes base case total capital cost for storage of $30/kwh (thermal) and 42% Rankine power cycle efficiency. (Kolb et al. 2011) 7

12 3 System Model The purpose of this analysis is to explore the potential of CSP to provide grid flexibility and enable increased solar penetration in the Southwestern United States. To perform this preliminary assessment, we use the REFlex model, which is a reduced form dispatch model designed to examine the general relationship between grid flexibility, variable solar and wind generation, and curtailment (Denholm and Hand 2011). REFlex compares hourly load and renewable resources and calculates the amount of curtailment based on the system s flexibility, defined as the ability for generators to decrease output and accommodate variable generator sources such as solar and wind. California is a likely candidate for large-scale deployment of both PV and CSP, and has strong solar incentive programs and a renewable portfolio standard. However, modeling California in isolation ignores the fact that California has strong transmission ties to neighboring states, including Arizona and southern Nevada, which have significant potential for solar energy. Currently, power exchanges between neighboring areas in the western United States are accomplished through bilateral contracts, and typically do not occur in real time. This analysis assumes the eventual availability of real-time power and energy exchanges across California, Arizona, New Mexico and Southern Nevada to allow sharing of solar resources. It also assumes that transmission is accessible to all generation sources on a short-term, non-firm basis. This limiting case allows for examination of the best technical case for solar deployment without market barriers or transmission constraints. We began our simulations by evaluating the limits of PV, given flexibility limits of the existing grid. The simulations use solar, wind and load data for the years 2005 and Load data was derived from FERC Form 714 filings. For hourly PV production, we used the System Advisor Model (SAM), which converts solar insolation and temperature data into hourly PV output (Gilman et al. 2008). Weather data for 2005 and 2006, was obtained from the updated National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) (Wilcox and Marion 2008). We assume that PV will be distributed in a mix of rooftop and central systems (both fixed and 1- axis tracking). Additional description of this mix, including geographical distribution is provided in Brinkman et al. (2011). Because California has significant wind capacity installed and plans for more, we also consider the interaction between solar and wind generation. Simulated wind data for 2005 and 2006 for California/Southwest sites was derived from the datasets generated for the Western Wind and Solar Integration Study (WWSIS) (GE Energy 2010). We started with a base assumption that wind provides 10% of the region s energy based on the In- Area 10% Wind scenario from the WWSIS. These data sets were processed through the REFlex model to establish base relationships between grid penetration of PV, curtailment, and grid flexibility. The overall system flexibility was evaluated parametrically, starting with a base assumption that the system is able to accommodate PV over a cycling range of 80% of the annual demand range. This corresponds to a flexibility factor of 80%, meaning the aggregated generator fleet can reduce output to 20% of the annual peak demand (Denholm and Hand 2011). This value is based on the WWSIS study and corresponds roughly to the point where all on-line thermal units have 8

13 reduced output to their minimum generation levels and nuclear units would require cycling. The actual flexibility of the U.S. power system is not well defined, and this value is not intended to be definitive, but is used to represent the challenges of solar and wind integration and the possible flexibility benefits of CSP/TES. 13 Figure 4 illustrates the framework for this analysis, showing the simulated dispatch over a 4-day period (April 7-10). It demonstrates a case where 10% of the annual demand is met by wind and 20% is met by solar. The figure shows both the simulated solar profile and its contribution to meeting load. Because of relatively low load during this period, PV generation exceeds what can be accommodated using the assumed grid flexibility limits. This typically occurs in the late morning, before the demand increases to its maximum in the afternoon. In these four days about 16% of all PV generation is curtailed and about 5% of the annual PV generation is curtailed Generation (GW) Curtailed PV Usable PV Wind Conventionals Load PV Hour Figure 4. Simulated system dispatch on April 7-10 with 20% contribution from PV generation and resulting curtailment due to grid flexibility constraints Figure 5 illustrates the average and marginal PV curtailment rates as a function of PV energy penetration for this initial scenario. It should be noted that the x-axis shows penetration of only solar PV. Because wind provides 10%, the total penetration of variable generation is 10% plus the penetration of solar. The average curve shows the total curtailment of all PV at a certain generation level. At the overall assumed system flexibility level, by the time PV is providing 22% of total demand, about 6% of all potential PV generation is curtailed. 13 For more discussion of grid flexibility and its relationship to minimum generation levels see Denholm et al. (2010) 14 This assigns all curtailment to PV as discussed later in this section. 9

14 The actual allocation of curtailment strongly influences the economics of PV and other variable generation. Figure 4 also shows the marginal curtailment rate, or the curtailment rate of the incremental unit of PV installed to meet a given level of PV penetration. If curtailment were assigned on an incremental basis at the point where PV is providing 22% of total demand, only about 50% of this additional PV would be usable, with the rest curtailed. In this analysis we assign all incremental curtailment to solar, partially based on the federal production tax credit which incentivizes wind generation, while the primary federal incentive for solar is an investment tax credit that incentivizes installations but not generation. 15 Curtailment of solar may also occur if wind is installed first and a last in, first curtailed rule applies. The actual allocation of curtailment is, and is likely to continue to be, a contentious issue. Regardless of allocations rules, increased grid flexibility will be needed to minimize curtailment if solar is expected to play a primary role in reducing fossil-fuel use in the electric sector. PV Curatilment Rate (% of Incremental or Total PV Curtailed) 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% Marginal Average 0% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% Fraction of Energy From PV Figure 5. Marginal curtailment rates of PV in a base scenario in the southwestern United States assuming an 80% system flexibility The estimation of the marginal curtailment rate is important because it helps establish the optimal mix of generators serving various portions of the load. This can be observed in 15 As a result of the production tax credit, wind generators can bid negative values into wholesale markets and still receive positive operating revenues. 10

15 Figure 6, which translates curtailment into a cost of energy multiplier. This multiplier equal to 1/(1-curtailment rate) can be applied to the base LCOE of electricity generation (no curtailment). This represents how much more would need to be charged for electricity based on the impact of curtailment and the corresponding reduction in electricity actually provided to the grid. Both the average and marginal multipliers are shown in Figure 6. The average multiplier is applied to all PV generators. The marginal multiplier is applied to the incremental generator, and is more important when determining the role of storage or other loadshifting technologies. For example, at the point where PV is providing 25% of the system s energy, the curtailment of all PV (average curtailment) is about 17% and the resulting cost multiplier is 1.2. If the base cost of PV is $0.06/kWh, the overall, systemwide cost of PV would be $0.06 x 1.2 or $0.072/kWh. This overall cost may be acceptable, but the costs are greater at the margin. For example, the last unit of PV installed to reach the 25% threshold has a curtailment rate of about 68% and a cost multiplier of 3.1. At a $0.06/kWh base price, this incremental unit of PV generation would have an effective cost of more than $0.18 per kwh. This would likely result in examining options to both increase grid flexibility (to accommodate more PV with lower curtailment rates) and improve the solar supply/demand coincidence. PV Cost Multiplier (Incremental Levelized Cost of PV Generation Scale Factor) Marginal Average 1.0 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% Fraction of Energy From PV Figure 6. Impact of curtailment on PV LCOE multiplier in a base scenario in the southwestern United States assuming an 80% system flexibility 11

16 4 Increasing Solar Deployment Using CSP While there are many options to increase grid flexibility, in this work we focus on the potential use of CSP with TES. Thermal storage extends the contribution of solar electricity generation by shifting generation to improve its coincidence with normal demand, and by improving system flexibility. The latter is accomplished by reducing constraints of ramping and minimum generation levels. CSP was added to REFlex using hourly generation values produced by SAM. SAM uses the direct normal irradiance (DNI) to calculate the hourly electrical output of a wetcooled trough plant (Wagner and Gilman 2011). The choice of technology was based primarily on data availability at the time of analysis as opposed to any presumption regarding CSP technology or economics. The results should be applicable to any CSP technology able to deploy multiple hours of thermal energy storage. For our base case, we assume 8 hours of storage and that the electrical energy produced by the plant can be dispatched with an effective 95% efficiency. In this initial analysis we did not consider the effects of part loading or multiple starts on plant efficiency. Distribution of locations was based on the study described by Brinkman et al. (2011). Figure 7 illustrates the importance of dispatchability at high solar penetration. This scenario is identical to Figure 4, except PV provides 15% of annual demand and CSP meets 10% (so the contribution of solar technologies in total is greater in the PV/CSP case in Figure 7). The figure shows two CSP profiles. This first non-dispatched CSP is the output of CSP if it did not have thermal storage. It aligns with PV production, and would result in significant solar curtailment. The other curve is the actual dispatched CSP, showing its response to the net demand pattern after wind and PV generation is considered. It shows how a large fraction of the CSP energy is shifted toward the end of the day. In the first day, this ability to shift energy eliminates curtailment. On the other days, the wind and PV resources exceed the usable demand for energy in the early part of the day, resulting in curtailed energy even while the CSP plant is storing 100% of thermal energy. However, overall curtailment is greatly reduced. Solar technologies provide an additional 5% of the system s annual energy compared to the case in Figure 4, but the actual annual curtailment has been reduced to less than 2%, including the losses in thermal storage. 12

17 Generation (GW) Curtailed PV Dispatched CSP Usable PV Wind Conventionals Load Non-Dispatched CSP Dispatched CSP Hour Figure 7. Simulated system dispatch on April 7-10 with 15% contribution from PV and 10% from dispatchable CSP Figure 8 shows how the addition of CSP/TES can increase the overall penetration of solar by moving energy from periods of low net demand in the middle of the day to morning or evening. In this figure there is an equal mix of CSP and PV on an energy basis and the PV-only curves are identical to those in Figure 5. 13

18 Solar Curatilment Rate 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% PV Only Marginal PV Only Average PV + CSP Marginal PV + CSP Average 0% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% Fraction of Energy From Solar Figure 8. Curtailment of solar assuming an equal mix (on an energy basis) of PV and CSP Figure 8 demonstrates the importance of dispatchability to reduce curtailment and increase the overall penetration of solar via the ability to shift solar energy over time. However, the analysis to this point assumes that CSP and PV are complementary only in their ability to serve different parts of the demand pattern. We have not yet considered the additional benefits of CSP to provide system flexibility by replacing baseload generators and generators online to provide operating reserves. The importance of system flexibility can be observed in Figure 4, where conventional generators must ramp up rapidly to address the decreased output of PV during peak demand periods. In order to meet this ramp rate and range (along with sufficient operating reserves) a significant number of thermal generators will likely need to be operating a part-load, creating a minimum generation constraint during periods of solar high output. This is represented by the flat line occurring in the middle of each day when the aggregated generator fleet is at their minimum generation point. Comparing the CSP/PV case in Figure 7 to the PV only case in Figure 4, we see that the CSP is dispatched to meet the peak demand in the late afternoon/early evening, and the overall ramp rate and range is substantially reduced. In Figure 4 conventional generators need to ramp from about 18 GW to over 45 GW in just a few hours, while in Figure 7 the generators need to ramp from 18 GW to less than 30 GW. Adding a highly flexible generator such as CSP/TES can potentially reduce the minimum generation constraint in the system. In the near term, this means that fewer conventional 14

19 generators will be needed to operate at part load during periods of high solar output. In the longer term, the ability of CSP to provide firm system capacity could replace retiring inflexible baseload generators. CSP plants with TES add system flexibility because of their large ramp rate and range relative to large baseload generators. Many CSP plants, both existing and proposed, are essentially small steam (Rankine-cycle) plants whose fuel is concentrated solar energy. Few of these plants are deployed, so it is not possible to determine their performance with absolute certainty. However, historical performance of the SEGS VI power plant provides some indication of CSP flexibility. Figure 9 provides a heat rate curve based on an hourly simulation model to assess the performance of parabolic trough systems, and validated by comparing the modeled output results with actual plant operating data (Price 2003). It indicates a typical operating range over 75% of capacity, with only a 5% increase in heat rate at 50% load. Figure 9 also provides historical data from small gasfired steam plants which also indicates high ramp rate and range and fairly small decrease in efficiency at part load (about a 6% increase in heat rate at 50% load). 16 These plants also often operate as low as 25% of capacity, although with lower efficiency. 17 This provides a strong indication that CSP plants should be able to provide high flexibility. Simulated CSP Plant Small Gas Steam Plant Heat Rate (MMBTU/MWh) % 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Generation (Fraction of Full Load) Figure 9. Part load heat rate of a CSP parabolic trough Rankine cycle power block and historic performance of small gas steam plants 16 This curve represents the capacity weighted average of 298 gas steam plants operating in the year Data is derived from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continuous emission monitoring database at 17 The difference in heat rates between CSP plants and gas steam plants is likely due to a variety of factors. The steam plant data includes many old plants, including plants constructed before The CSP curve represents a parabolic trough plant including a power block consisting of a two-stage reheat turbine and multiple feedwater heaters to improve efficiency (Kearney and Miller 1988). 15

20 The change in minimum generation constraints is dependent on both the flexibility of CSP plants and the flexibility of generators supplemented or replaced with CSP. As discussed previously, nuclear plants are rarely cycled in the United States, while coal plants are typically operated in the range of 50%-100%. Because it is not possible to determine the exact mix of generators that would be replaced in high renewables scenarios, we consider a range of possible changes in the minimum generation constraints resulting from CSP deployment. For example, deployment of a CSP plant which can operate over 75% of its capacity range could allow the de-commitment of a coal plant which normal operates over 50% of its range. In this scenario each unit of CSP could reduce the minimum generation constraint by 25% of the plant s capacity. This very simplistic assumption illustrates how the dispatchability of a CSP plant should allow for a lower minimum generation constraint. Reducing this constraint should allow for greater use of wind and PV. As a result, as CSP is added, the system can actually accommodate more PV than in a system without CSP. This is illustrated conceptually in Figure 10, which shows the same 4-day period as in Figures 4 and 7. CSP still provides 10% of the system s annual energy, but now we assume that the use of CSP allows for a decreased minimum generation point, and the decrease is equal to 25% of the installed CSP capacity. In this case about 21 GW of CSP reduces the minimum generation point from about 18 GW to 13 GW. This generation headroom allows for greater use of PV, and enough PV has been added to meet 25% of demand (up from 15% in Figure 7). 18 As a result, the total solar contribution is now 35% of demand, significantly greater than the PV-only case shown in Figure 4, and total curtailment is less than the 6% rate seen in Figure 4. By shifting energy over time and increasing grid flexibility, CSP enables greater overall solar penetration AND greater penetration of PV. 18 All additional PV and CSP have the same mix of locations and types. In all cases the hourly solar profiles are simple scaled to obtain the desired penetration. 16

21 Generation (GW) Curtailed Solar Dispatched CSP Usable PV Wind Conventionals Load Non-Dispatched CSP Dispatched CSP Hour Figure 10. Simulated system dispatch on April with 25% contribution from PV and 10% from dispatchable CSP where CSP reduces the minimum generation constraint Figures 11 and 12 show the potential overall impact of the flexibility introduced by CSP and the corresponding opportunities for increased use of PV. Figure 11 builds on Figure 8 by adding the flexibility benefits of CSP. The figure assumes that each unit of CSP reduces the minimum generation constraint by 25% of its capacity, and an equal mix of PV and CSP on an energy basis. In this case, the addition of CSP allows PV to provide 25% of the system s energy with very low levels of curtailment. 17

22 Solar Curatilment Rate 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% PV Only Marginal PV Only Avg PV + CSP (No Flex Benefits) Marginal PV + CSP (No Flex Benefits) Average PV + CSP (With Flex Benefits) Marginal PV + CSP (With Flex Benefits) Average 10% 5% 0% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% Fraction of Energy From Solar Figure 11. Curtailment of solar assuming an equal mix (on an energy basis) of PV and CSP and impact of CSP grid flexibility Figure 12 more directly illustrates the relationship between the reduction in minimum generation constraint and potential increase in PV penetration. The figure shows how much more PV could be incorporated at a constant marginal curtailment rate of 20% when CSP is added. In this scenario, the x-axis represents the fraction of annual system energy provided by CSP. Increased penetration of CSP results in a linear decrease in minimum generation constraints. The figure illustrates two CSP flexibility cases. In one, each unit of CSP reduces the minimum generation constraint by 20% of its capacity; in the other, the rate of reduction is 40%. These amounts are not meant to be definitive, but represent a possible impact of CSP in reducing minimum generation constraints. 18

23 % Increase in Energy from PV at Constant Curtailmen Rate 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 40% CSP Flexibility 20% CSP Flexibility 0% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% Fraction of Energy From CSP Figure 12. Increase in PV penetration as a function of CSP penetration assuming a maximum PV marginal curtailment rate of 20%. CSP flexibility is defined as the fraction of the CSP rated capacity that is assumed to reduce the system minimum generation constraint. Overall, this analysis suggests that CSP can significantly increase grid flexibility by providing firm system capacity with a high ramp rate and range and acceptable part-load operation. Greater grid flexibility could increase the contribution of renewable resources like solar and wind. This demonstrates that CSP can actually be complementary to PV, not only by adding solar generation during periods of low sun, but by actually enabling more PV generation during the day. This analysis also suggests a pathway to more definitively assess the ability of CSP to act as an enabling technology for wind and solar generation. 19

24 5 Further Quantifying the Benefits of CSP Deployment This analysis is a preliminary assessment of the potential benefits of CSP in providing grid flexibility using reduced form simulations with limited geographical scope and many simplifying assumptions. Gaining a more thorough understanding of how CSP can enable greater PV and wind penetration will require detailed production simulations using security-constrained unit commitment and economic dispatch models currently used by utilities and system operators. These simulations should consider the operation of the entire power plant fleet including individual generator characteristics and constraints, and the operation of the transmission system. The geographical footprint should cover the entire Western interconnect including possible transmission expansion to take advantage of greater spatial diversity of the wind and solar resources as well conventional generators. To date, production simulations have not considered CSP operations in detail. Both the WWSIS and the first phase of the California 33% Renewable Portfolio Standard integration studies (CAISO 2011) included CSP, but assumed fixed schedules for CSP dispatch. This assumption limits CSP s ability to shift generation to when needed most and to provide grid flexibility to enable PV and wind. Future and ongoing studies, including the second phase of both the California study and the WWSIS will evaluate the benefits of TES in more detail. To perform these simulations, production cost models will need to include the ability of CSP to optimally dispatch the solar energy resource, and not rely on heuristics or schedules often used to estimate the operation of conventional storage plants such as pumped hydro. However, the ability to optimize CSP, including scheduling both its energy and ability to provide operating reserves, is limited by lack of certain data sets needed for a more detailed simulation. A greater understanding of the predictability and variability of the solar resource, including the sub-hourly variation and the effects of spatial diversity in mitigating variability, is needed. This data will also be needed to determine any required increase in operating reserves over various time scales as a function of solar penetration. In addition, more data is needed on the actual characteristics of CSP plants those now being deployed and under development including ramp rates, turn-down ratio, part-load efficiency, and start times under various conditions. 20

25 6 Conclusions While it will be some time until solar technologies achieve very high penetrations in the U.S. grid, international experience in wind deployment demonstrates the importance of increasing overall grid flexibility. Key factors in improving grid flexibility include increasing the ramp range and rate of all generation sources and the ability to better match the supply of renewable resources with demand via increased spatial diversity, shiftable load, or energy storage. The use of thermal energy storage in concentrating solar power plants provides one option for increased grid flexibility in two primary ways. First, TES allows shifting of the solar resource to periods of reduced solar output with relatively high efficiency. Second is the inherent flexibility of CSP/TES plants, which offer higher ramp rates and ranges than large thermal plants currently used to meet a large fraction of electric demand. Given the high capacity value of CSP/TES, this technology could potentially replace a fraction of the conventional generator fleet and provide a more flexible generation mix. This could result in greater use of nondispatchable solar PV and wind meaning CSP and PV may actually be complementary technologies, especially at higher penetrations. The preliminary analysis performed in this work requires advanced grid simulations to verify the actual ability of CSP to act as an enabling technology for other variable generation sources. Complete production simulations using utility-grade software, considering the realistic performance of the generation fleet, transmission constraints, and actual CSP operation will be an important next step in evaluating the benefits of multiple solar generation technologies. 21

26 References Brinkman, G.L.; Denholm, P.; Drury, E.; Margolis, R.; Mowers, M. (2011). Toward a Solar-Powered Grid Operational Impacts of Solar Electricity Generation. IEEE Power and Energy (9); pp California Independent System Operator (CAISO) (2011). Track I Direct Testimony of Mark Rothleder on Behalf of the California Independent System Operator Corporation. Testimony for the Public Utilities Commission of the State of California, Order Instituting Rulemaking to Integrate and Refine Procurement Policies and Consider Long- Term Procurement Plans, Rulemaking , Submitted July 11. Denholm, P.; Hand, M. (2011). Grid Flexibility and Storage Required to Achieve Very High Penetration of Variable Renewable Electricity. Energy Policy (39); pp Denholm, P.; Ela, E.; Kirby, B.; Milligan, M. (2010). The Role of Energy Storage with Renewable Electricity Generation. NREL/TP-6A Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Denholm, P.; Margolis, R.M.; Milford, J. (2009). Quantifying Avoided Fuel Use and Emissions from Photovoltaic Generation in the Western United States. Environmental Science and Technology (43); pp Denholm, P.; Margolis, R.M.; Milford, J. (2008). Production Cost Modeling for High Levels of Photovoltaics Penetration. NREL/TP Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Denholm, P.; Margolis, R.M. (2008). Land Use Requirements and the Per-Capita Solar Footprint for Photovoltaic Generation in the United States. Energy Policy (36); pp Denholm, P.; Margolis, R.M. (2007a). Evaluating the Limits of Solar Photovoltaics (PV) in Traditional Electric Power Systems. Energy Policy (35); pp Denholm, P.; Margolis, R.M. (2007b). Evaluating the Limits of Solar Photovoltaics (PV) in Electric Power Systems Utilizing Energy Storage and Other Enabling Technologies. Energy Policy (35); pp Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). (December 2010). Electricity Energy Storage Technology Options: A White Paper Primer on Applications, Costs, and Benefits Palo Alto, CA: EPRI. Fink, S.; Mudd, C.; Porter, K.; Morgenstern, B. (2009). Wind Energy Curtailment Case Studies: May May SR Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 22

27 GE Energy. (2010). Western Wind and Solar Integration Study. SR Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Gilman, P.; Blair, N.; Mehos, M.; Christensen, C.; Janzou, S.; Cameron, C. (2008). Solar Advisor Model User Guide for Version 2.0. TP Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Johnson, M. (2 March 2011). Overview of Gridscale Rampable Intermittent Dispatchable Storage (GRIDS) Program. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Energy. Kearney, D.; Miller, C. (15 January 1998). Solar Electric Generating System VI - Technical Evaluation of Project Feasibility. Los Angeles, CA: LUZ Partnership Management, Inc. Kolb, G.; Ho, C.; Mancini, T.; Gary, J. (2011). Power Tower Technology Roadmap and Cost Reduction Plan. SAND Albuquerque, NM: Sandia National Laboratories. King, J.; Kirby, B.; Milligan, M.; Beuning, S. (2011) Flexibility Reserve Reductions from an Energy Imbalance Market with High Levels of Wind Energy in the Western Interconnection. NREL/TP Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Lefton, S.A.; Besuner, P. (2006). The Cost of Cycling Coal Fired Power Plants. Coal Power Magazine, Winter Medrano, M.; Gil, A.; Martorell, I.; Potau, X.; Cabeza, F. (2010). State of the Art on High-Temperature Thermal Energy Storage for Power Generation. Part 2 Case Studies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (14); pp Morton, O. (2006). Solar Energy: A New Day Dawning?: Silicon Valley Sunrise. Nature (443); pp Nikolakakis, T.; Fthenakis, V. The Optimum Mix of Electricity from Wind- and Solar- Sources in Conventional Power Systems: Evaluating the Case for New York State. Energy Policy, (39); Perez, R.; Taylor, M.; Hoff, T.; Ross, J.P. (2008). Reaching Consensus in the Definition of Photovoltaic Capacity Credit in the USA: A Practical Application of Satellite-Derived Solar Resource Data. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics In Applied Earth Observations And Remote Sensing (1:1); pp Price, H. (2003). A Parabolic Trough Solar Power Plant Simulation Model. CP Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Sioshansi, R.; Denholm, P. (2010). The Value of Concentrating Solar Power and Thermal Energy Storage. IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy (1:3); pp

28 Wagner, M. J.; Gilman, P. (2011). Technical Manual for the SAM Physical Trough Model. TP Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Wilcox, S.; Marion, W. (2008). Users Manual for TMY3 Data Sets. NREL/TP Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Wiser, R.; Bolinger, M. (August 2010) Wind Technologies Market Report. LBNL- 3716E. Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 24

System Advisor Model, SAM 2014.1.14: General Description

System Advisor Model, SAM 2014.1.14: General Description System Advisor Model, SAM 2014.1.14: General Description Nate Blair, Aron P. Dobos, Janine Freeman, Ty Neises, and Michael Wagner National Renewable Energy Laboratory Tom Ferguson, Paul Gilman, and Steven

More information

AN EVALUATION OF SOLAR VALUATION METHODS USED IN UTILITY PLANNING AND PROCUREMENT PROCESSES

AN EVALUATION OF SOLAR VALUATION METHODS USED IN UTILITY PLANNING AND PROCUREMENT PROCESSES AN EVALUATION OF SOLAR VALUATION METHODS USED IN UTILITY PLANNING AND PROCUREMENT PROCESSES Andrew D. Mills Ryan H. Wiser Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 1 Cyclotron Rd., MS 90R4000 Berkeley, CA

More information

Energy Systems Integration

Energy Systems Integration Energy Systems Integration A Convergence of Ideas Ben Kroposki, Bobi Garrett, Stuart Macmillan, Brent Rice, and Connie Komomua National Renewable Energy Laboratory Mark O Malley University College Dublin

More information

Early Fuel Cell Market Deployments: ARRA and Combined (IAA, DLA, ARRA)

Early Fuel Cell Market Deployments: ARRA and Combined (IAA, DLA, ARRA) Technical Report NREL/TP-56-588 January 3 Early Fuel Cell Market Deployments: ARRA and Combined (IAA, DLA, ARRA) Quarter 3 Composite Data Products Jennifer Kurtz, Keith Wipke, Sam Sprik, Todd Ramsden,

More information

Government Program Briefing: Smart Metering

Government Program Briefing: Smart Metering Government Program Briefing: Smart Metering Elizabeth Doris and Kim Peterson NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, operated by

More information

Wind Forecasting stlljectives for Utility Schedule and Energy Traders

Wind Forecasting stlljectives for Utility Schedule and Energy Traders NREUCP 500 24680 UC Category: 1210 Wind Forecasting stlljectives for Utility Schedule and Energy Traders Marc N. Schwartz National Renewable Energy Laboratory Bruce H. Bailey A WS Scientific, Inc. Presented

More information

Levelized Cost and Levelized Avoided Cost of New Generation Resources in the Annual Energy Outlook 2015

Levelized Cost and Levelized Avoided Cost of New Generation Resources in the Annual Energy Outlook 2015 June 2015 Levelized Cost and Levelized Avoided Cost of New Generation Resources in the Annual Energy Outlook 2015 This paper presents average values of levelized costs for generating technologies that

More information

Cost and Performance Assumptions for Modeling Electricity Generation Technologies

Cost and Performance Assumptions for Modeling Electricity Generation Technologies Cost and Performance Assumptions for Modeling Electricity Generation Technologies Rick Tidball, Joel Bluestein, Nick Rodriguez, and Stu Knoke ICF International Fairfax, Virginia NREL is a national laboratory

More information

Estimating the Performance and Economic Value of Multiple Concentrating Solar Power Technologies in a Production Cost Model

Estimating the Performance and Economic Value of Multiple Concentrating Solar Power Technologies in a Production Cost Model Estimating the Performance and Economic Value of Multiple Concentrating Solar Power Technologies in a Production Cost Model Jennie Jorgenson, Paul Denholm, Mark Mehos, and Craig Turchi NREL is a national

More information

An Analysis of Siting Opportunities for Concentrating Solar Power Plants in the Southwestern United States

An Analysis of Siting Opportunities for Concentrating Solar Power Plants in the Southwestern United States An of Siting Opportunities for Concentrating Solar Power Plants in the Southwestern United States Mark S. Mehos National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden, Colorado Phone: 303-384-7458 Email: mark_mehos@nrel.gov

More information

Energy Storage for Renewable Integration

Energy Storage for Renewable Integration ESMAP-SAR-EAP Renewable Energy Training Program 2014 Energy Storage for Renewable Integration 24 th Apr 2014 Jerry Randall DNV GL Renewables Advisory, Bangkok 1 DNV GL 2013 SAFER, SMARTER, GREENER DNV

More information

Renewable Energy on Regional Power Grids Can Help States Meet Federal Carbon Standards

Renewable Energy on Regional Power Grids Can Help States Meet Federal Carbon Standards FACT SHEET Renewable Energy on Regional Power Grids Can Help States Meet Federal Carbon Standards In June 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) used its authority under Section 111(d) of

More information

Flexible Capacity Planning for Renewable Integration CEF Topical White Paper Jeremy Hargreaves, Elaine Hart, Ryan Jones, Arne Olson E3

Flexible Capacity Planning for Renewable Integration CEF Topical White Paper Jeremy Hargreaves, Elaine Hart, Ryan Jones, Arne Olson E3 July 15, 2013 Flexible Capacity Planning for Renewable Integration CEF Topical White Paper Jeremy Hargreaves, Elaine Hart, Ryan Jones, Arne Olson E3 Problem Statement For California, meeting an economy-

More information

Supply Curves for Rooftop Solar PV-Generated Electricity for the United States

Supply Curves for Rooftop Solar PV-Generated Electricity for the United States Supply Curves for Rooftop Solar PV-Generated Electricity for the United States Technical Report NREL/TP-6A0-44073 November 2008 Paul Denholm and Robert Margolis Supply Curves for Rooftop Solar PV-Generated

More information

Rate Analysis of Two Photovoltaic Systems in San Diego

Rate Analysis of Two Photovoltaic Systems in San Diego Rate Analysis of Two Photovoltaic Systems in San Diego Technical Report NREL/TP-6A2-43537 July 2009 Elizabeth Doris, Sean Ong, and Otto Van Geet Rate Analysis of Two Photovoltaic Systems in San Diego Technical

More information

Wind Electrolysis: Hydrogen Cost Optimization

Wind Electrolysis: Hydrogen Cost Optimization Wind Electrolysis: Hydrogen Cost Optimization Genevieve Saur and Todd Ramsden NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, operated by

More information

Emissions Comparison for a 20 MW Flywheel-based Frequency Regulation Power Plant

Emissions Comparison for a 20 MW Flywheel-based Frequency Regulation Power Plant Emissions Comparison for a 20 MW Flywheel-based Frequency Regulation Power Plant Beacon Power Corporation KEMA Project: BPCC.0003.001 May 18, 2007 Final Report with Updated Data Emissions Comparison for

More information

Value of storage in providing balancing services for electricity generation systems with high wind penetration

Value of storage in providing balancing services for electricity generation systems with high wind penetration Journal of Power Sources 162 (2006) 949 953 Short communication Value of storage in providing balancing services for electricity generation systems with high wind penetration Mary Black, Goran Strbac 1

More information

Optical Blade Position Tracking System Test

Optical Blade Position Tracking System Test National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future A national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Optical Blade Position Tracking

More information

Modeling Demand Response for Integration Studies

Modeling Demand Response for Integration Studies Modeling Demand Response for Integration Studies Marissa Hummon, Doug Arent NREL Team: Paul Denholm, Jennie Jorgenson, Elaine Hale, David Palchak, Greg Brinkman, Dan Macumber, Ian Doebber, Matt O Connell,

More information

DR Resources for Energy and Ancillary Services

DR Resources for Energy and Ancillary Services DR Resources for Energy and Ancillary Services Marissa Hummon, PhD CMU Energy Seminar Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania April 9, 2014 NREL/PR-6A20-61814 NREL is a national laboratory

More information

Small PV Systems Performance Evaluation at NREL's Outdoor Test Facility Using the PVUSA Power Rating Method

Small PV Systems Performance Evaluation at NREL's Outdoor Test Facility Using the PVUSA Power Rating Method National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future A national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Small PV Systems Performance

More information

Energy Systems Integration

Energy Systems Integration Energy Systems Integration Dr. Martha Symko-Davies Director of Partnerships, ESI March 2015 NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy,

More information

U.S. Concentrating Solar Power

U.S. Concentrating Solar Power U.S. Concentrating Solar Power World Bank October 29, 2009 Chuck Kutscher National Renewable Energy Laboratory CSP: The Other Solar Energy Parabolic trough Linear Fresnel Power tower Dish-Stirling Parabolic

More information

How To Save Money On Electricity At A School

How To Save Money On Electricity At A School Maximizing the Value of Photovoltaic Installations on Schools in California: Choosing the Best Electricity Rates Sean Ong and Paul Denholm NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy,

More information

Grid Integration of Aggregated Demand Response, Part 2: Modeling Demand Response in a Production Cost Model

Grid Integration of Aggregated Demand Response, Part 2: Modeling Demand Response in a Production Cost Model Grid Integration of Aggregated Demand Response, Part 2: Modeling Demand Response in a Production Cost Model Marissa Hummon, David Palchak, Paul Denholm, and Jennie Jorgenson National Renewable Energy Laboratory

More information

Wind and Energy Markets: A Case Study of Texas.

Wind and Energy Markets: A Case Study of Texas. Wind and Energy Markets: A Case Study of Texas. Ross Baldick Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering baldick@ece.utexas.edu The University of Texas at Austin May 21, 2010 1 Abstract Many jurisdictions

More information

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BEFORE THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION. ) ) Reliability Technical Conference ) Docket No.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BEFORE THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION. ) ) Reliability Technical Conference ) Docket No. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BEFORE THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Reliability Technical Conference Docket No. AD14-9-000 REMARKS OF BRAD ALBERT GENERAL MANAGER, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ARIZONA PUBLIC

More information

SENSITIVITY OF CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER TROUGH PERFORMANCE, COST, AND FINANCING WITH THE SOLAR ADVISOR MODEL

SENSITIVITY OF CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER TROUGH PERFORMANCE, COST, AND FINANCING WITH THE SOLAR ADVISOR MODEL Abstract SENSITIVITY OF CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER TROUGH PERFORMANCE, COST, AND FINANCING WITH THE SOLAR ADVISOR MODEL Nate Blair *, Mark Mehos, Craig Christensen Senior Energy Analyst, CSP Program Manager,

More information

Planning for Arizona s Energy Future

Planning for Arizona s Energy Future Planning for Arizona s Energy Future Brad Albert, General Manager of Renewable Resources Arizona Public Service Co. National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL), Energy Task Force December 8, 2010 Regulatory

More information

A New Empirical Relationship between Thrust Coefficient and Induction Factor for the Turbulent Windmill State

A New Empirical Relationship between Thrust Coefficient and Induction Factor for the Turbulent Windmill State National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future A national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy A New Empirical Relationship

More information

Testimony of Barbara D. Lockwood, P.E. Manager, Renewable Energy Arizona Public Service Company

Testimony of Barbara D. Lockwood, P.E. Manager, Renewable Energy Arizona Public Service Company Testimony of Barbara D. Lockwood, P.E. Manager, Renewable Energy Arizona Public Service Company Before the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming Blowing

More information

COMPARING THE COSTS OF INTERMITTENT AND DISPATCHABLE ELECTRICITY GENERATING TECHNOLOGIES. Paul L. Joskow Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and MIT 1 ABSTRACT

COMPARING THE COSTS OF INTERMITTENT AND DISPATCHABLE ELECTRICITY GENERATING TECHNOLOGIES. Paul L. Joskow Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and MIT 1 ABSTRACT September 27, 2010 (Revised February 9, 2011) DISCUSSION DRAFT COMPARING THE COSTS OF INTERMITTENT AND DISPATCHABLE ELECTRICITY GENERATING TECHNOLOGIES Paul L. Joskow Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and MIT

More information

Energy Storage - Program 94

Energy Storage - Program 94 Energy Storage - Program 94 Program Description Program Overview Energy storage is expected to play a larger role in generation resource management, integration of variable resources, and peak management

More information

EVALUATING SOLAR ENERGY PLANTS TO SUPPORT INVESTMENT DECISIONS

EVALUATING SOLAR ENERGY PLANTS TO SUPPORT INVESTMENT DECISIONS EVALUATING SOLAR ENERGY PLANTS TO SUPPORT INVESTMENT DECISIONS Author Marie Schnitzer Director of Solar Services Published for AWS Truewind October 2009 Republished for AWS Truepower: AWS Truepower, LLC

More information

System-friendly wind power

System-friendly wind power System-friendly wind power Lion Hirth (neon) Simon Müller (IEA) BELEC 28 May 2015 hirth@neon-energie.de Seeking advice on power markets? Neon Neue Energieökonomik is a Berlin-based boutique consulting

More information

Investigating a Higher Renewables Portfolio Standard in California

Investigating a Higher Renewables Portfolio Standard in California Investigating a Higher Renewables Portfolio Standard in California January 2014 Investigating a Higher Renewables Portfolio Standard in California January 2014 2013 Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Energy

More information

Integrating Solar PV into Utility System Operations. Contents

Integrating Solar PV into Utility System Operations. Contents Contents Acknowledgments... ix Acronyms... x Executive Summary... xiii 1 Introduction... 1 2 Background: Existing Utility Practices and Changes to Those Practices with Increased PV Deployment... 5 2.1

More information

Emissions from Traditional & Flywheel Plants for Regulation Services

Emissions from Traditional & Flywheel Plants for Regulation Services Emissions from Traditional & Flywheel Plants for Regulation Services Rick Fioravanti, Johan Enslin & Gerard Thijssen KEMA, Inc. EESAT 2007, San Francisco, Sep. 24, 2007 Funded in part by the Energy Storage

More information

Sensitivity analysis for concentrating solar power technologies

Sensitivity analysis for concentrating solar power technologies 20th International Congress on Modelling and Simulation, Adelaide, Australia, 1 6 December 2013 www.mssanz.org.au/modsim2013 Sensitivity analysis for concentrating solar power technologies B. Webby a a

More information

Wind Induced Coal Plant Cycling Costs and the Implications of Wind Curtailment for

Wind Induced Coal Plant Cycling Costs and the Implications of Wind Curtailment for Final Report: Wind Induced Coal Plant Cycling Costs and the Implications of Wind Curtailment for Public Service Company of Colorado Prepared for Xcel Energy 1800 Larimer Street Denver, Colorado 80202 Prepared

More information

QUANTIFYING THE COST OF HIGH PHOTOVOLTAIC PENETRATION

QUANTIFYING THE COST OF HIGH PHOTOVOLTAIC PENETRATION QUANTIFYING THE COST OF HIGH PHOTOVOLTAIC PENETRATION Richard Perez ASRC, 251 Fuller Rd Albany, NY, 12203 Perez@asrc.cestm.albany,edu Thomas E. Hoff Clean Power Research Napa, CA 94558 tomhoff@cleanpower.com

More information

Comparison of CO 2 Abatement Costs in the United States for Various Low and No Carbon Resources. Total System Levelized Cost Based on EIA LCOE

Comparison of CO 2 Abatement Costs in the United States for Various Low and No Carbon Resources. Total System Levelized Cost Based on EIA LCOE Comparison of CO 2 Abatement Costs in the United States for Various Low and No Carbon Resources Every year the Energy Information Administration (EIA) publishes its Annual Energy Outlook (AEO). In the

More information

Re: Docket No. RM 10-11-000, Comments on Proposed Rule on Integration of Variable Energy Resources

Re: Docket No. RM 10-11-000, Comments on Proposed Rule on Integration of Variable Energy Resources 750 1 st St, NE Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20002 202.682.6294 Main 202.682.3050 Fax www.cleanskies.org March 2, 2011 Via Electronic Docket Hon. Kimberly D. Bose Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

More information

Elastomer Compatibility Testing of Renewable Diesel Fuels

Elastomer Compatibility Testing of Renewable Diesel Fuels National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future A national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Elastomer Compatibility Testing

More information

Overgeneration from Solar Energy in California: A Field Guide to the Duck Chart

Overgeneration from Solar Energy in California: A Field Guide to the Duck Chart Overgeneration from Solar Energy in California: A Field Guide to the Duck Chart Paul Denholm, Matthew O Connell, Gregory Brinkman, and Jennie Jorgenson National Renewable Energy Laboratory NREL is a national

More information

VOLATILITY AND DEVIATION OF DISTRIBUTED SOLAR

VOLATILITY AND DEVIATION OF DISTRIBUTED SOLAR VOLATILITY AND DEVIATION OF DISTRIBUTED SOLAR Andrew Goldstein Yale University 68 High Street New Haven, CT 06511 andrew.goldstein@yale.edu Alexander Thornton Shawn Kerrigan Locus Energy 657 Mission St.

More information

Abstract. emails: ronderby@earthlink.net, splazzara@aol.com, phone: 860-429-6508, fax: 860-429-4456

Abstract. emails: ronderby@earthlink.net, splazzara@aol.com, phone: 860-429-6508, fax: 860-429-4456 SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANT WITH THERMAL STORAGE Ronald C. Derby, President Samuel P. Lazzara, Chief Technical Officer Cenicom Solar Energy LLC * Abstract TM employs 88 parabolic mirrors (concentrating dishes)

More information

Regional Field Verification Operational Results from Four Small Wind Turbines in the Pacific Northwest

Regional Field Verification Operational Results from Four Small Wind Turbines in the Pacific Northwest National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future A national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Regional Field Verification Operational

More information

Integrating Renewable Electricity on the Grid. A Report by the APS Panel on Public Affairs

Integrating Renewable Electricity on the Grid. A Report by the APS Panel on Public Affairs Integrating Renewable Electricity on the Grid A Report by the APS Panel on Public Affairs 2 Integrating Renewable Electricity on the Grid Executive Summary The United States has ample renewable energy

More information

State of Renewables. US and state-level renewable energy adoption rates: 2008-2013

State of Renewables. US and state-level renewable energy adoption rates: 2008-2013 US and state-level renewable energy adoption rates: 2008-2013 Elena M. Krieger, PhD Physicians, Scientists & Engineers for Healthy Energy January 2014 1 Introduction While the United States power sector

More information

NV Energy ISO Energy Imbalance Market Economic Assessment

NV Energy ISO Energy Imbalance Market Economic Assessment March 25, 2014 NV Energy ISO Energy Imbalance Market Economic Assessment NV Energy ISO Energy Imbalance Market Economic Assessment 2014 Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Energy and Environmental Economics,

More information

The Vast Potential for Renewable Energy in the American West

The Vast Potential for Renewable Energy in the American West The Vast Potential for Renewable Energy in the American West Developing Wind, Solar, and Geothermal Energy on Public Lands Jessica Goad, Daniel J. Weiss, and Richard Caperton August 2012 Introduction Arizona,

More information

Integration of distributed energy resources and demand response in energy systems

Integration of distributed energy resources and demand response in energy systems Integration of distributed energy resources and demand response in energy systems Niamh O Connell Ben Kroposki National Renewable DTU Compute Energy NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department

More information

THE NET BENEFITS OF LOW AND NO-CARBON ELECTRICITY TECHNOLOGIES

THE NET BENEFITS OF LOW AND NO-CARBON ELECTRICITY TECHNOLOGIES GLOBAL ECONOMY & DEVELOPMENT WORKING PAPER 73 MAY 2014 Global Economy and Development at BROOKINGS THE NET BENEFITS OF LOW AND NO-CARBON ELECTRICITY TECHNOLOGIES Charles R. Frank, Jr. Global Economy and

More information

The Role of Energy Storage with Renewable Electricity Generation

The Role of Energy Storage with Renewable Electricity Generation The Role of Energy Storage with Renewable Electricity Generation Technical Report NREL/TP-6A2-47187 January 2010 Paul Denholm, Erik Ela, Brendan Kirby, and Michael Milligan The Role of Energy Storage with

More information

Preparatory Paper on Focal Areas to Support a Sustainable Energy System in the Electricity Sector

Preparatory Paper on Focal Areas to Support a Sustainable Energy System in the Electricity Sector Preparatory Paper on Focal Areas to Support a Sustainable Energy System in the Electricity Sector C. Agert, Th. Vogt EWE Research Centre NEXT ENERGY, Oldenburg, Germany corresponding author: Carsten.Agert@next-energy.de

More information

Method to Calculate Uncertainties in Measuring Shortwave Solar Irradiance Using Thermopile and Semiconductor Solar Radiometers

Method to Calculate Uncertainties in Measuring Shortwave Solar Irradiance Using Thermopile and Semiconductor Solar Radiometers Method to Calculate Uncertainties in Measuring Shortwave Solar Irradiance Using Thermopile and Semiconductor Solar Radiometers Ibrahim Reda NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy,

More information

HERBERT T. HAYDEN SOLAR TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR FOR ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY PHOENIX ARIZONA

HERBERT T. HAYDEN SOLAR TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR FOR ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY PHOENIX ARIZONA HERBERT T. HAYDEN SOLAR TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR FOR ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY PHOENIX ARIZONA BEFORE THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE

More information

METERING BILLING/MDM AMERICA

METERING BILLING/MDM AMERICA METERING BILLING/MDM AMERICA Back-up Generation Sources (BUGS) Prepared by Steve Pullins March 9, 2010 Metering, Billing/MDM America - San Diego, CA This material is based upon work supported by the Department

More information

CO 2 Emissions from Electricity Generation and Imports in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: 2010 Monitoring Report

CO 2 Emissions from Electricity Generation and Imports in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: 2010 Monitoring Report CO 2 Emissions from Electricity Generation and Imports in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: 2010 Monitoring Report August 6, 2012 1 This report was prepared on behalf of the states participating

More information

IDC Reengineering Phase 2 & 3 US Industry Standard Cost Estimate Summary

IDC Reengineering Phase 2 & 3 US Industry Standard Cost Estimate Summary SANDIA REPORT SAND2015-20815X Unlimited Release January 2015 IDC Reengineering Phase 2 & 3 US Industry Standard Cost Estimate Summary Version 1.0 James Mark Harris, Robert M. Huelskamp Prepared by Sandia

More information

NREL Job Task Analysis: Crew Leader

NREL Job Task Analysis: Crew Leader NREL Job Task Analysis: Crew Leader Chuck Kurnik National Renewable Energy Laboratory Cynthia Woodley Professional Testing Inc. NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of

More information

Renewable Energy and the Role of Energy Storage

Renewable Energy and the Role of Energy Storage Renewable Energy and the Role of Energy Storage Presented to: IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting Jim Croce President and CEO July 26, 2011 Presentation Agenda 1. Overview of energy storage applications

More information

Solar Energy. Airports Going Green Aimee Fenlon

Solar Energy. Airports Going Green Aimee Fenlon Solar Energy Airports Going Green Aimee Fenlon 1 Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Electrical Generation Renewables: Source Advantages Disadvantages Solar PV No CO2; Needs no Fuel Intermittent no power at night,

More information

ENERGY PRODUCING SYSTEMS

ENERGY PRODUCING SYSTEMS ENERGY PRODUCING SYSTEMS SOLAR POWER INTRODUCTION Energy from the sun falls on our planet on a daily basis. The warmth of the sun creates conditions on earth conducive to life. The weather patterns that

More information

Research and Development: Advancing Solar Energy in California

Research and Development: Advancing Solar Energy in California Research and Development: Advancing Solar Energy in California Laurie ten Hope Deputy Director Energy Research and Development Division California Energy Commission 2014 UC Solar Research Symposium San

More information

The Real Cost of Electrical Energy. Outline of Presentation

The Real Cost of Electrical Energy. Outline of Presentation 2 Outline of Presentation Data Sources Electricity Demand and Supply Cost to Meet Demand Profile Electricity Pricing Cost Impact of Dispatching Generation (Load Following) Simplifying Assumptions Electricity

More information

Solar Energy and Water Use in Arizona

Solar Energy and Water Use in Arizona Solar Energy and Water Use in Arizona WRRC Brown Bag Seminar September 16, 2010 Ardeth Barnhart Co-Director, Arizona Research Institute for Solar Energy (AzRISE) University of Arizona www.azrise.org Overview

More information

INTEGRATION OF PV IN DEMAND RESPONSE PROGRAMS

INTEGRATION OF PV IN DEMAND RESPONSE PROGRAMS INTEGRATION OF PV IN DEMAND RESPONSE PROGRAMS Prepared by Richard Perez et al. NREL subcontract # AEK-5-55057-01 Task # 2, Deliverable # 2 Robert Margolis, Project Manager ABSTRACT This article makes the

More information

The Cost of Solar Power Variability

The Cost of Solar Power Variability The Cost of Solar Power Variability Abstract We compare the power spectra of a year of electricity generation data from the Nevada Solar One solar thermal plant, a Tucson Electric Power solar PV array,

More information

Concentrating Solar Power: A Look at the Costs and Returns of CSP

Concentrating Solar Power: A Look at the Costs and Returns of CSP Concentrating Solar Power: A Look at the Costs and Returns of CSP A Briefing Prepared for: Environmental and Energy Study Institute Thursday, September 6, 2007 Kate Maracas Energy Resources, Inc. 1 Discussion

More information

Public Service Company of Colorado 2 GW and 3 GW Wind Integration Cost Study

Public Service Company of Colorado 2 GW and 3 GW Wind Integration Cost Study Final Report: Public Service Company of Colorado 2 GW and 3 GW Wind Integration Cost Study Prepared by Xcel Energy Inc 1800 Larimer Street Suite 1400 Denver, Colorado 80202 Jeff Butler Regulatory Consultant

More information

While there has been a lot of discussion

While there has been a lot of discussion Pipelines Is North American Natural Gas Infrastructure Up to Complementing Wind, Solar? Donald F. Santa Jr. While there has been a lot of discussion within the electric power industry about integrating

More information

Rethinking the Future Grid: Integrated Nuclear Renewable Energy Systems

Rethinking the Future Grid: Integrated Nuclear Renewable Energy Systems Rethinking the Future Grid: Integrated Nuclear Renewable Energy Systems Preprint S.M. Bragg-Sitton and R. Boardman Idaho National Laboratory M. Ruth and O. Zinaman National Renewable Energy Laboratory

More information

Grid of the Future. Integration of Renewables Energy Storage Smart Grid. Presentation by David Hawkins Lead Renewables Power Engineer Grid Operations

Grid of the Future. Integration of Renewables Energy Storage Smart Grid. Presentation by David Hawkins Lead Renewables Power Engineer Grid Operations Grid of the Future Integration of Renewables Energy Storage Smart Grid Presentation by David Hawkins Lead Renewables Power Engineer Grid Operations Grid of the Future Current Power System Gen. Trans. Dist.Cust.

More information

DOE Concentrating Solar Power 2007 Funding Opportunity Project Prospectus

DOE Concentrating Solar Power 2007 Funding Opportunity Project Prospectus DOE Concentrating Solar Power 2007 Funding Opportunity Project Prospectus DOE Solar Energy Technologies Program Contact: Frank Tex Wilkins frank.wilkins@ee.doe.gov Enabling a New Vision for Concentrating

More information

Grid Applications for Energy Storage

Grid Applications for Energy Storage Grid Applications for Energy Storage Flow Cells for Energy Storage Workshop Washington DC 7-8 March 2012 Joe Eto jheto@lbl.gov (510) 486-7284 Referencing a Recent Sandia Study,* This Talk Will: Describe

More information

Wind and PV penetration - Factors Modifying the Value of Variable Generation

Wind and PV penetration - Factors Modifying the Value of Variable Generation LBNL-6590E ERNEST ORLANDO LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY Strategies for Mitigating the Reduction in Economic Value of Variable Generation with Increasing Penetration Levels Andrew Mills and Ryan

More information

ERCOT Analysis of the Impacts of the Clean Power Plan Final Rule Update

ERCOT Analysis of the Impacts of the Clean Power Plan Final Rule Update ERCOT Analysis of the Impacts of the Clean Power Plan Final Rule Update ERCOT Public October 16, 2015 ERCOT Analysis of the Impacts of the Clean Power Plan Final Rule Update In August 2015, the U.S. Environmental

More information

[Sent to Covered Activities and Resource Mapping working groups on Oct. 21, 2011.]

[Sent to Covered Activities and Resource Mapping working groups on Oct. 21, 2011.] 2040 and 2050 Acreage Needs for Renewable Generation Dave Vidaver, Electricity Analysis Office, California Energy Commission dvidaver@energy.state.ca.gov In order to inform the DRECP process, Energy Commission

More information

CSP. Feranova Reflect Technology. klimaneutral natureoffice.com DE-296-558771 gedruckt

CSP. Feranova Reflect Technology. klimaneutral natureoffice.com DE-296-558771 gedruckt RENEWABLE SOURCES RENEWABLE SOURCES CSP Feranova Reflect Technology klimaneutral natureoffice.com DE-296-558771 gedruckt Gedruckt auf 100% Recyclingpapier Circlesilk Premium White 200/150 g/m 2 2012 Feranova

More information

Achieving 50 Percent Renewable Electricity in California The Role of Non-Fossil Flexibility in a Cleaner Electricity Grid

Achieving 50 Percent Renewable Electricity in California The Role of Non-Fossil Flexibility in a Cleaner Electricity Grid Achieving 50 Percent Renewable Electricity in California The Role of Non-Fossil Flexibility in a Cleaner Electricity Grid James H. Nelson, Ph.D. Laura M. Wisland August 2015 2015 Union of Concerned Scientists

More information

Ramping effect on forecast use: Integrated Ramping as a Mitigation Strategy

Ramping effect on forecast use: Integrated Ramping as a Mitigation Strategy Ramping effect on forecast use: Integrated Ramping as a Mitigation Strategy FERC 2015 Technical Conference V. Diakov, C. Barrows, G. Brinkman, A. Bloom, P. Denholm June 23, 2015 Washington, D.C. NREL/PR-6A20-64549

More information

GLOBAL RENEWABLE ENERGY MARKET OUTLOOK 2013

GLOBAL RENEWABLE ENERGY MARKET OUTLOOK 2013 GLOBAL RENEWABLE ENERGY MARKET OUTLOOK 213 FACT PACK GUY TURNER HEAD OF ECONOMICS AND COMMODITIES APRIL 26, 213 GLOBAL RENEWABLE ENERGY MARKET OUTLOOK, 26 APRIL 213 1 INTRODUCTION This year s Global Renewable

More information

Fuel cell microchp: Greener and cheaper energy for all

Fuel cell microchp: Greener and cheaper energy for all Fuel cell microchp: Greener and cheaper energy for all Paddy Thompson General Manager Business Development Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd. May 2013 1 What does our generation mix look like today? 2 Will the lights

More information

Storage Battery System Using Lithium ion Batteries

Storage Battery System Using Lithium ion Batteries Offices and schools Utilities / Renewable energy Storage Battery System Using Lithium ion Batteries Worldwide Expansion of Storage Battery System s Commercial Buildings Residential The Smart Energy System

More information

NEVADA S ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM AND THE CLEAN POWER PLAN

NEVADA S ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM AND THE CLEAN POWER PLAN ADVANCED ENERGY ECONOMY the business voice of advanced energy NEVADA S ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM AND THE CLEAN POWER PLAN The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will soon release the final rule for

More information

Quantifying flexibility markets

Quantifying flexibility markets Quantifying flexibility markets Marit van Hout Paul Koutstaal Ozge Ozdemir Ad Seebregts December 2014 ECN-E--14-039 Acknowledgement The authors would like to thank TenneT for its support of this project.

More information

GENERATION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

GENERATION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT SPO PLANNING ANALYSIS GENERATION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT Technology Cost & Performance Milestone 2 Public Technical Conference OCTOBER 30, 2014 NOTE: ALL IRP MATERIALS ARE PRELIMINARY & SUBJECT TO CHANGE

More information

High Penetration of Distributed Solar PV Generation

High Penetration of Distributed Solar PV Generation High Penetration of Distributed Solar PV Generation Lessons Learned from Hawaii September 30, 2014 Discussion Overview Solar PV penetrations trends in Hawaii Lessons learned from Hawaii s high penetration

More information

Delivering Clean Energy

Delivering Clean Energy Delivering Clean Energy Meeting Energy Needs Homes and businesses across the country depend on energy to support the economy and sustain a high quality of life. Yet there s also a responsibility to provide

More information

Smarter Energy: optimizing and integrating renewable energy resources

Smarter Energy: optimizing and integrating renewable energy resources IBM Sales and Distribution Energy & Utilities Thought Leadership White Paper Smarter Energy: optimizing and integrating renewable energy resources Enabling industrial-scale renewable energy generation

More information

CSP Research Infrastructure in the U.S. Mark S. Mehos CSP Program Manager National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden, CO

CSP Research Infrastructure in the U.S. Mark S. Mehos CSP Program Manager National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden, CO CSP Research Infrastructure in the U.S. Mark S. Mehos CSP Program Manager Golden, CO NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy operated

More information

Solar Energy Utilization in the United States. For the American Nuclear Society Nor Cal Ali Moharrer, P.E. February 21, 2013

Solar Energy Utilization in the United States. For the American Nuclear Society Nor Cal Ali Moharrer, P.E. February 21, 2013 Solar Energy Utilization in the United States For the American Nuclear Society Nor Cal Ali Moharrer, P.E. February 21, 2013 Professional Experience 20 years project engineer experience, including the overall

More information

Evaluation of Hawaii s Renewable Energy Policy and Procurement Final Report

Evaluation of Hawaii s Renewable Energy Policy and Procurement Final Report Evaluation of Hawaii s Renewable Energy Policy and Procurement Final Report January 2014 Revision Evaluation of Hawaii s Renewable Energy Policy and Procurement Final Report January 2014 Revision 2014

More information

ALL ISLAND GRID STUDY WORK STREAM 4 ANALYSIS OF IMPACTS AND BENEFITS

ALL ISLAND GRID STUDY WORK STREAM 4 ANALYSIS OF IMPACTS AND BENEFITS ALL ISLAND GRID STUDY WORK STREAM 4 ANALYSIS OF IMPACTS AND BENEFITS January 2008 Executive Summary The All Island Grid Study is the first comprehensive assessment of the ability of the electrical power

More information

Grid Integration of Renewable Energy: Flexibility, Innovation, Experience

Grid Integration of Renewable Energy: Flexibility, Innovation, Experience Grid Integration of Renewable Energy: Flexibility, Innovation, Experience Eric Martinot, Beijing Institute of Technology* Invited paper currently in publication for Annual Review of Environment and Resources

More information

THE COSTS OF DECARBONISING ELECTRICITY GENERATION

THE COSTS OF DECARBONISING ELECTRICITY GENERATION THE COSTS OF DECARBONISING ELECTRICITY GENERATION This technical annex to Building a low-carbon economy presents further details on the analysis underlying the estimates of the costs of decarbonising the

More information

Irradiance. Solar Fundamentals Solar power investment decision making

Irradiance. Solar Fundamentals Solar power investment decision making Solar Fundamentals Solar power investment decision making Chilean Solar Resource Assessment Antofagasta and Santiago December 2010 Edward C. Kern, Jr., Ph.D., Inc. Global Solar Radiation Solar Power is

More information